The race for solar is ruining Britain
gUY WALTERS has drawn attention to the despoliation of the Stour Valley by solar farms and the plight of the villagers of Fifehead Magdalen (Mail). Last week, the Radio 3 Breakfast programme followed the route of the Severn, an area of peace and reflection, protection for flowers, fauna and birds and a source of artistic inspiration. Oh, that the government, planners and energy companies would spend a little time doing the same. Sadly, the fate of the Stour Valley is being replicated across the country in the race for renewables. Important as that may be, it has resulted in a fragmented and incoherent approach to developments onshore and offshore being taken by commercial companies eager to exploit taxpayer subsidies. I live on the Suffolk coast, where there are eight major projects in the course of development and prospective expansion. My village is to be laid waste by 30 acres of concrete and ironwork to accommodate three substations. More could follow. This is on agricultural land, leading to a loss of landscape, habitat and the footpaths loved by residents and the many visitors to the area. Just who is concerned about the preservation of our countryside?
SIMON IvE, Friston, Suffolk. I AM surprised at how many fields in Cornwall have been surrendered to solar farms. With a demand for housing, plus the switch to electric vehicles, we need more power generation. But we also need farmland. My suggestion would be to turn brownfield sites, not unspoilt grassland, into solar farms.
MELvYN AvIS, St Germans, Cornwall. THE world has not got to grips with starvation, yet Britain is being covered by solar panels. What about the thousands of hectares of commercial buildings under construction that have not one solar panel on them? It’s been claimed the roofs are not at the correct angle, but if they can build metal mounting frames in fields that have to be concreted into the ground, it would be simple to integrate a framework on top of a warehouse. The trouble is the financial incentives wouldn’t be as great as they are for landowners.
BARRY DAvIES, Chorley, Lancs. WHY aren’t all new homes being built with solar panels on the roof? Is it because the electric companies and their shareholders would lose money?
C. SHEPHERD, West Moors, Dorset.